Applicants for a professional license must pass an examination before a license is issued; the commission manages, schedules, and scores the exams and can set renewal and late-application rules.
§3807. Examinations A. Each applicant for a professional license shall satisfactorily pass an examination prior to being issued a license. The commission shall be responsible for the preparation, administration, and grading of examinations for professional licenses. The commission shall review and approve all proposed examinations and shall determine the minimum score necessary to satisfactorily pass each examination. B. The examination for each profession shall be compiled from lists of questions submitted by the following organizations: (1) The arboricultural examination shall be compiled from a list of questions submitted by the Louisiana Arborist Association, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The utility arboricultural examination shall be a separate examination pertaining to utility tree work and shall be compiled from a list of questions submitted by the Louisiana Arborist Association, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. (2)-(3) Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 643, §2, eff. June 11, 2024. (4) The landscape horticulturist examination shall be compiled from a list of questions submitted by the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. (5) The national landscape architect examination shall be prepared by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards, or its successor. The Louisiana Landscape Architect Examination shall be compiled from a list of questions approved by the commission. (6) Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 63, §2, eff. June 5, 2008. (7) The landscape irrigation contractor examination shall be compiled from a list of questions submitted by the Louisiana Irrigation Association and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. C. The commission shall fix the dates for all examinations for professional licenses. The commission may establish a date prior to each examination which shall be the last date on which applications to take the examination will be accepted, and may refuse to administer examinations to persons whose applications are received after that date. D. Each person who has been issued a license and who fails to renew his license for three successive years, may do so upon completion of the requirements for renewal established by the commission. The maximum fee for delayed renewal shall be established by the commission, provided that said renewal fee shall not exceed three times the normal renewal fee. This delinquent renewal fee shall be in addition to the late renewal registration fee set forth in R.S. 3:3806(E). E. The commission may enter into reciprocal agreements with licensing agencies in other states to provide that applicants for a landscape architect's license who are licensed in another state as a result of passing an examination which was approved by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards, or its successor, shall be given credit for having passed that examination and will be required to pass the Louisiana Landscape Architect Examination. Acts 1950, No. 224, §7; Acts 1965, No. 127, §1; Acts 1972, No. 320, §1; Acts 1981, No. 621, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1985, No. 120, §1; Acts 1987, No. 844, §1; Acts 1988, No. 230, §1; Acts 1990, No. 120, §1; Acts 1992, No. 60, §1; Acts 1992, No. 457, §1; Acts 2004, No. 810, §1, eff. July 12, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 63, §§1, 2, eff. June 5, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 556, §1, eff. June 30, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 920, §1, eff. July 14, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 1040, §1, eff. July 8, 2010; Acts 2013, No. 103, §1; Acts 2024, No. 217, §1; Acts 2024, No. 643, §2, eff. June 11, 2024.